


Take The Key And Lock Her Up - Alexei POV

by ellag2004



Category: Embassy Row Series - Ally Carter
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-21 17:46:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14919999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellag2004/pseuds/ellag2004
Summary: This is Take The Key And Lock Her Up in Alexei's POV. There are additional scenes added, and this is my first story, so it's fairly average.





	1. Recovery

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first chapter I'm posting. I worked on fanfiction.com prior to this, so you can check out my other works there. I have the same username (Ellag2004), I might post them on here at a later date... Anyway, enjoy and review!! :)
> 
> Ella

CHAPTER ONE: RECOVERY

It's been weeks, nearly five of them, since I thought I would lose my best friend forever. Six weeks since Russia blew up their own car, affirming my faith in mr father's lack of care or concern for me. Seven weeks since that night. The night that started all of this. But Jamie's recovering, and that's all that matters.

 

‘Is that all you’ve got?’ I teased, baiting Jamie to hit me harder. 

 

‘I’m gaining on you buddy,’ says Jamie, as I circle around him.

 

‘Yeah? Let’s see you do it again,’ 

 

I guess you could say that I’m training him. No… it’s more like guiding his recovery. But no matter what, there is no denying that Jamie is weak. I must be gentle with him. He is taking slow unbalanced steps towards me, and despite the freezing air, he starts to sweat and his whole body is shaking with effort and determination as he takes a slow swing at me. I’m not going to let him win that easily, so I duck and gently swing back. He tries to hit my shoulder with the bottom of his palm, but I punch his hand away. 

 

Fighting like this brings back memories of when we used to fight properly, before. Before he came back to Adria, before he was stabbed, before he came within an inch of having his whole life slip away. But it’s too scary to think about. 

 

‘Again,’ I say. If he’s going to get his strength back, it will be by practising consistently. So, we resume our positions. We slowly move around, he punches, I block. I punch, he blocks. 

 

Then Grace comes into view. She looks so cute with her bed-hair and oversized T-Shirt, standing behind the grimy window. 

 

‘Well I guess the princess has decided to join us,’ I tease, but she doesn’t laugh. She never does. I miss the way she would throw her head back slightly and purse her lips together really, really tightly to try and stop, which always ends in her eyes watering adorably. I miss the old Gracie. 

 

I am brought back to earth by her husky morning tone. ‘Some of us need our beauty sleep,’ she replies with a smirk. 

 

‘I’ll say,’ Jamie says smugly. So, I hit him. No-one, not even him, can insult her on my watch. Oops, maybe I hit him a little too hard. He stumbles back and catches himself quickly. Luckily, Grace didn’t see, or I would be in trouble. 

 

‘Don’t make me hurt you,’ Jamie threatens, but all I can do is grin. 

 

‘My friend there is absolutely nothing I would welcome more.’ 

 

Jamie’s next blow hits me square on the shoulder, a slow but steady punch. He’s definitely improving. 

 

‘So, Alexei, any chance you still like little Gracie?’ Jamie whispers with a small smile, just loud enough for me to hear. 

 

‘Maybe,’ I reply through gritted teeth. Jamie and I tell each other everything, but the one thing that doesn’t tend to come up that often are my developing feelings for his kid sister.

 

‘Planning on making a move?’ He whispers with a classic “Don’t tell what you’re actually thinking please” look. So, I don’t. 

 

‘Nope,’ I say quietly, as I push his hip backwards with a little too much force. He stumbles back again but luckily doesn’t fall over. Oops, Grace saw that one. 

 

‘Jamie, why don’t you rest for a little bit?’ She asks, while death glaring me. He and I share a look and he resists the urge to roll his eyes. 

 

‘I just woke up,’ he argues as he slaps my shoulders forcefully. 

 

‘Good. Again,’ I say, impressed with his sudden burst of strength. 

‘Jamie, you don’t want to push it,’ She sounds exasperated and I almost feel bad for her. After all, she just wants what is best for him, and she’s probably right. But Jamie turns around and starts walking steadily towards her.

 

‘No, Gracie,’ he tries to hide his frustration. ‘That’s exactly what I have to do.’ Grace just sighs and gives me a look as if to say, don’t push him too hard. She walks out the cabin door and says something about getting more kindling, gesturing off towards the forest. 

 

‘Don’t go far, Gracie!’ I yell after her, because the last thing I want is for her to get hurt. 

***

Jamie and I call it quits after another couple of minutes, because I can tell that he’s tiring. I sit down on the porch steps and let out a sigh, thinking about Grace. Then Jamie slowly plops down next to me. 

 

‘What’s on your mind bro? You all good?’ He asks, and its moments like this that I appreciate his friendship the most. 

 

‘Yeah I guess. I’m just worried about Grace,’ I look up from my hands and straight at him as he chuckles softly. 

 

‘Look. I know she’s a lot to handle at times with her crazy mood swings, but she has been through a lot. She’ll be fine,’ he says, then adds under his breath. ‘I hope,’

 

‘Yeah but it’s not just that,’ I pursue the subject, ‘She wakes up in the middle of the night screaming, and when I get up to comfort her, she’s always so distant with me.’ I say sadly, trying to muster some sympathy. But Jamie’s head turns rapidly to the direction Grace just disappeared in, after a shrill scream fills the previously silent morning air.

 

‘Do you think she’s alright man?’ I ask, concern filling my voice more and more quickly by the second. But then, we both look up and see the small white plane flying overhead, circling the coastline, and finally landing on the waves. 

‘Shit!’ Jamie mutters, and Dominic comes running out of the cabin. He starts to tell me to go to Grace, but I’m already half-way there.


	2. The Visitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Again, I wrote these first few a while ago and they aren't exactly great. But... I hope you like it :)
> 
> Ella

CHAPTER TWO: THE VISITOR  
I sprint towards the clearing, hoping, praying that I’m not too late. I turn right, come around the corner and see Grace gripping a piece of firewood like a baseball bat. I run towards the sand towards her and shout her name. 

 

‘Gracie,’ She turns around and cringes, obviously not very happy to see me. ‘Grace,’ I pant, not because I’ve been running, but because my blood is pounding with terror. ‘A plane is circling. We’ve got to-’ I’m interrupted by the look she gives me. Then she slowly turns, and I follow her gaze until I meet the eyes of Alexandra Petrovic. 

 

Great! So much for an untraceable whereabouts. ‘Alexei,’ She looks dangerous, and there is a slightly menacing glint in her eyes, as she glares at first me and then Grace. I don’t dare look away as I firmly say, 

 

‘Gracie, come over here and get behind me. Now,’ As Grace starts to move towards me, the Prime Minister of Adria practically jumps in between us and turns to face me. She starts slowly stepping in my direction while glaring at me, a look that could turn the entirety of the Mediterranean Sea to ice. She gives me a scary, small smile and stops walking. 

 

‘Don’t be silly young man. I’ve come a long way to see Grace. Now, who is going to take me to Jamie. 

***

My pulse is pounding, as I lead Grace and PM Petrovic down the steep ravines and through muddy trails. I keep my head down, trying to think of ways to get her out of here. But I can’t, so I stay silent and focus on my hand on the small of Grace’s back, stopping her from falling over. 

 

We come around the corner of the cabin and I hear the cocking of a gun, and all I want to do is push myself in front of Grace to protect her from whoever Petrovic has stationed behind the weapon. That was until I realised with a start that it was Jamie holding the gun. He has the heavy little shotgun fixed at PM Petrovic and doesn’t take his eyes off her. 

 

‘What are you doing here?’ Jamie says in a low, malicious tone, his voice dripping with anger.

 

‘Hello, James,’ The Prime Minister says with a smile. She glances over at Grace. ‘My, what a family resemblance,’ She is so infuriating! I don’t know where it comes from, but I just start yelling at her. 

 

‘Stop!’ I scream as I turn to her, hatred pounding through my veins. How dare she waltz on in here and try to talk to us normally. ‘Stop your lying. Stop… Go away. Go back!!’

 

‘Alexei,’ She starts again. But when I step behind Grace and hold her firmly by the hips, I have made it very clear to this woman that I will not stand by her. I think that the realisation is dawning on her face. 

So, she tries a new approach, because it is very evident to all of us that she is on a mission and has no intention of failing it. ‘Gentlemen, I need a word with Grace. Alone.’ 

I start to protest but Jamie beats me to it. ‘I don’t know how you found us, but we’re not-’ 

 

Jamie is cut off by Grace, who had been so quiet since the PM arrived, I had half-forgotten she was even here. ‘It’s okay.’ She says. And for some reason, I agree with her, because if this woman wanted us dead, we would 100% already be just that. So as Grace tells Jamie and I that she’s fine, we let her pass and walk into the cabin with the Prime Minister on her heels. 

Jamie starts pacing up and down the porch and I follow. ‘Would you care for some tea?’ I hear Grace ask in her most diplomatic voice. I really hope she is thinking of a plan, because I sure as hell haven’t got one. 

I briefly glimpse the Prime Minister smile warmly as she says, ‘That would be lovely,’ She stays silent as Grace makes her tea and slips it into her hands, and I know it’s because Jamie and I are standing in front of the open door. Grace says something, but it is drowned out by my thoughts on how clever my Gracie is.

 

‘That’s my girl,’ I whisper with a smile. 

‘What?’ Jamie asks quietly, as we step out of the girl’s ear and eye-shot. But I don’t reply, because Grace and the “visitor” walk out the front door. I just glare at them, trying to mask how proud I am of Gracie’s quick thinking.

 

As the two girls walk towards the trees, Jamie   
and I walk inside. ‘What was that about?’ He asks with a slightly worried, slightly bemused expression. ‘Who’s your girl?’ He teases. So, I show him the empty bottle of drugs and he smiles. ‘That’s my girl,’ He whispers. 

 

***

 

As Jamie hobbles towards the water plane, I slide my right arm under his shoulders to help him get there more quickly. When we’re 10 metres from the plane, Dominic sprints through the freezing, knee-deep water and hauls Jamie into the passenger seat. 

 

I run back to the rocky shore as I see the PM slump over on the grass. ‘Gracie!’ I yell out to her. I stand on the shore in between Grace and the tiny plane and beckon for her to come as the engine starts up. As soon as she reaches me, I hoist her up from the waist and hop into the seat beside her. 

As the plane climbs into the sky, Dom and Jamie start talking through the headsets over their ears. All I am aware of however, is how close I am to Grace. I can feel the heat radiating off her body. So, I put my arm around her and pull her smoothly closer. As I stroke her hair out of her eyes, she nestles into me and slips her arms around my shoulders. 

 

All I want to do is hold her like this forever, but after 20 minutes, she is asleep, and I finally decide to break the silence and wake her up. ‘Gracie, wake up beautiful. What are we going to do?’ She rubs her gorgeous brown eyes and looks up at me, half-asleep and fully stunning. 

 

‘I don’t know,’ and maybe that’s why she looks so terrified. These past few weeks she has been the playmaker, the one with all the brilliant plans and ideas. The calm one. And the fact that she is scared adds to all of our anxiety. But we both just sit there, looking out onto the horizon, scanning for somewhere safe to land. But the scary truth is that there’s probably no place safe enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? Review and keep waiting, more to come soon!
> 
> Ella


	3. Fort Sill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter, this is hopefully the last of the terrible chapters that I wrote when I had absolutely no clue what I was doing lol. Enjoy
> 
> Ella

CHAPTER THREE: FORT SILL

It’s been three days since the Prime Minister’s “little visit”. Jamie’s condition has worsened significantly. But he’s not going to get better by getting caught, and that’s why we can’t stop running. Grace is down to her last straw though. It’s obvious to all of us. It’s so hard to listen to her scream at Dom and I to stop, crying endlessly when Jamie gets worse but still trying to stay strong for him. All I want to do is hold her and tell her it’s okay. I hate seeing her like this with all of my heart, but it’s for her that I am doing this. 

 

As I stand under the hood of the car Dominic may’ve stolen from the Oklahoma State airport, I hear Gracie get out of the car and start arguing with Dom. We need to replace the oil. I duck out from under the hood and find Grace practically screaming. ‘He will not be fine!’ She yells. She is on the verge of a breakdown and Dominic can tell. This will be the second one in 3 days. 

 

I stand behind her and Dominic sees me. She continues yelling. ‘He needs a bed, Dominic. And a shower. And a meal that doesn’t come out of a bag. We all do. When was the last time you slept? I mean really slept?’ She has a point, but neither of us want to admit it. 

 

‘I’ll sleep when you’re safe.’ He says to her, but I can’t help but feel as though he’s just being stubborn. 

 

‘Oh Dominic,’ she says as she shakes her head. ‘I will never be safe. And that goes double if you collapse or give out on us. We need you. I know you know that. But I’m saying it anyway. We need you at your best. And you’re not now. You can’t be. It’s just not possible. So…’ 

 

I shrug as if to say, your decision and he glares at me. Grace looks over her shoulder and sees me, looking annoyed to have been left out of yet another secret conversation. 

 

I am getting so sick of having to sleep in a rotten old car, I think I saw a hotel around the corner of the gas station, so I shrug. ‘I will see about getting us some rooms.’ I turn and start walking. Grace calls out to me. 

 

‘Stop,’ I turn around. ‘You’re still front-page news,’ It’s hard to forget what is happening around the world when you shut yourself out. I am a wanted fugitive, but I guess that takes a back seat when two of the people you’re on the run with are being hunted down by the Royal Family of Adria. ‘Even if no one in their right mind would expect you to run to the US, we probably shouldn’t take the chance.’ She is 100% right. 

 

She turns to Dominic and studies his face. ‘And you’re… memorable.’ She says, and then she holds out her hand expectantly. He gives her one of his many wallets and she spins on me. ‘You two stay here. I’ll go see about the rooms.’ 

She walks around the corner and I sigh and walk over to Dominic. ‘What are we going to do with that girl?’ He asks me. And I am lost for words. ‘Alexei, do you know where we are?’ he questions, as we walk over to the car. 

 

‘No, where?’ I have no idea. And Dominic looks like he is in a lot of pain. Not physical, though, emotional. 

 

‘We’re in Fort Sill,’ That name rings a bell. I realise with a start that this is where Jamie and Grace lived until Caroline died. I hope Grace knows, because otherwise she is in for a shock. Now this would definitely cause a meltdown. 

 

However, Dominic continues. ‘Alexei, Grace and Jamie are my number one priorities. I have to keep them safe. But I need a lot of help from you, especially with Grace. If she needs comforting, I need you to be right there next to her, supporting her. If she needs protecting, I need you to throw her out of harm’s way. Alexei, you love her. I know you do. And that is why I’m trusting you with her life, don’t let me down.’

 

Okay. So, this is a lot to digest at the moment, but I guess in a way, he’s kinda right. I think I do love Grace. No. Correction. I know I love Grace, and I will do anything to protect her, even if it means endangering myself. It means a lot to me that Dom is trusting me with protecting her, but all I can muster up is a simple, pathetic. ‘Okay, yeah, sure. I will,’ 

I pop back under the hood to try and check out everything and see if it’s just the oil that needs replacing. Goodness knows it’s not. We’ve got air in the brakes. Lucky Mikhail taught me how to repair cars. 

 

Dominic ducks his head under, ‘What’s going on down there Alexei?’ 

 

‘We need to replace the oil and we have air in the brakes.’ I tell him with a cringe.

 

‘Is that going to cost us much.’ He asks with a grimace. 

 

‘Nah, just a little for the oil. We have air in our brakes, but I should be able to fix that in about half an hour.’ He ducks his head back out and opens the passenger seat door to check on Jamie. He’s moaning in his sleep, but Dominic takes no notice and pulls the blanket up over his head. He pulls his head and arms out of the car and leans against it, sighing. He mutters to himself and I can’t quite make out what he’s saying. 

 

I bleed the brakes to get the air out of them and then go over to the gas station and buy the oil. I carefully tip it into the hole through the funnel and then tighten the cap. 

 

Grace swings the glass door of the motel open and sticks her head out. ‘Guys come on, we’ve got a room.’ 

 

***

 

I sit in the chair facing the window. I’m keeping watch. But I am so tired, all I want to do is curl up in one of the uncomfortable beds and sleep. But I can’t do that, I need to protect Grace. 

I get up and walk through the adjoining door, over to where her bed is. She is just lying there, looking at Jamie. ‘Gracie, you alright?’ I ask. 

 

She rolls over and looks at me, ‘Uh… yeah,’ She is not alright, and we both know it. ‘Here, sit down.’ she says, patting the bed next to her. 

 

She pulls down the covers and jostles over half a metre. I slowly lay down next to her and pull her tightly into my chest. After several minutes, she starts to cry. ‘I don’t know what to do Alexei!’ She says with a heavy sob. 

 

‘It’s okay Gracie, it’s okay.’ I try to comfort her, but Jamie starts to moan again, and that only makes her cry harder. 

 

‘No, Alexei, it isn’t. Jamie is getting worse every day, and I can’t help him, do you know how that feels.’ 

 

But I do. When Grace found out that she was the one that killed Caroline, that is exactly how I felt. I couldn’t help her, and she would always pretend she was alright. When I’d visit her during the night, she would scream and scream until she couldn’t cry anymore. That was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever had to endure. But Ambassador Vincent made it very clear that Grace wasn’t to know about any of her nightmares, as Dr Rainer, her psychologist said it could bring on those awful flashbacks again. 

 

So now I hold her and tell her ‘Gracie, he’s getting better, he really is. Slowly, but definitely surely.’ I tilt her chin back with my finger, so she is looking me right in the eyes. 

 

‘Thank you, Alexei,’ She whispers as she leans in. 

 

Just before our lips make contact, Jamie gasps for breath and Grace turns to him quickly, jumps out of bed and runs over to him. I sit up quickly as she lets out a sob. I run over to her and kneel down beside his bed. ‘Is he okay?’ She nods her head ‘Gracie, why are you crying?’ She wraps her arms around my neck and dissolves into my body. 

 

‘Alexei, I can barely feel his pulse.’ Poor thing, she’s got so much going on and there’s no denying that at the moment, Jamie’s not looking good. 

 

‘Hey, hey. Grace,’ I force her to look into my eyes. ‘Grace, he will get better, now you need to get some sleep. Come on,’ I lift her up like a baby and slip her under her covers.

 

I walk through the door, back into Dom and I’s room. I sit down in the armchair near the window and I hear a chuckle. It was coming from Dominic’s direction. ‘So close…’ He says, facing away from me. 

 

‘Shut up,’ I retaliate, so, I guess Dominic was awake for Grace and I’s little conversation. 

 

‘Alexei, if you ever plan on getting to the good stuff close the door please. And make sure that Jamie isn’t 3 metres away. That’d probably be the smart thing to do.’ 

 

‘Right, okay.’ That was slightly awkward. I   
drift off to sleep thinking on how I could get back at Jamie, without physically harming him.

***

 

‘Alexei, Alexei wake up,’ I wake up to the sound of Dominic shouting my name and shaking me violently. ‘Alexei, James and Grace are missing, and the car’s gone.’ 

 

Half asleep, I come to terms with the thing I’ve dreaded since we arrived here. I roll over and push the covers back, stumbling through the connecting door to their room. ‘What do you mean they’re gone.’ 

 

‘What the hell do you think I mean, they’re not in their beds.’ 

 

‘Well do you know where they are.’ I ask, confused at why he isn’t having a full-out panic attack, because I certainly am. 

 

‘I think I have an idea, come on,’ He says, grabbing my arm and dragging me through the door and down the stairs. He starts to run, and I follow, a million thoughts rushing through my head at once.

**Author's Note:**

> So I know this chapter is super super short, but they get a bit longer soon. And because I've already posted this story, I can update it as frequently as I want! Hope you enjoyed :)
> 
> Ella


End file.
